The Shattered Man, chapter 3
"He had a seizure!"
"Yes, I know."
"WHY!?!" My eyes opened, and I saw a blurry image of Mike screaming at a doctor.
"Mr. Pritchard, you are going to have to calm down. We just need to run some tests to find the reason why."
"ME? I'M THE ONE THAT HAS TO CALM DOWN?!" Mike shouted into the doctor's face.
"Yes, you are. Please, step outside."
"Mmph... Mikey? Please, stop yelling..." I murmured, trying to see straight. I heard him gasp.
"Billie!" I heard rapid footsteps, but they stopped at my side. "Are you okay?" I nodded, then shook my head, then nodded, then shrugged.
"Could be better," I rasped, my throat drier than the Gobi Desert. "Wha-what happened?"
"You...you had a seizure. We don't know why, though," he replied quietly, kissing my knuckles. "I thought we would lose you."
I chuckled quietly. "I'm still here, aren't I?" I stroked his sullen cheek. "Chin up, Mike-o. C'mon, lemme see that gorgeous smile of yours."
"Billie...what is going on with you? No...I want to know!" he cried, his eyes shining with tears. "I'm scared, Bill. I'm terrified! I...I just...I was at home, waiting for you on the couch. Then I get a call from the hospital, telling me you were in a coma. Then, when I come, you have a seizure," he sighed, running his fingers through his hair.
"Mike. Mike, c'mon. hey, hey. I'm okay. Don't lose hope. If I'm going to die, I don't want you to cry," I replied, and hugged him tight.
THREE WEEKS LATER...
The hospital let me out, finally announcing that I was of no harm to me or anyone else. When I got home, I sat silently on a chair in the dining room, fingering an old picture of me and my ex-wife. Tears slid silently down my cheeks, rolling from my tired, bloodshot eyes. I sniffled, wiping my eyes. Someone knocked on the door, and I groaned, pulling my body off of my chair. Mike stood there, his hands clenched around something.
"Hey," I murmured, pulling the door open. He smiled slightly, then kind of winced.
"Hi," he replied. He held out a crumpled up letter. "It's, uh, from the record company," he explained as I took it. I opened it, and pulled out the paper. My heart sank as I read it. We were supposed to go out touring sometime in the next three weeks. I tried to smile, but it seemed more like a regretful shake. "I...I tried to tell them that you couldn't go right yet, so they figured we'll go at the end of the next three weeks." I nodded, then tossed it to the side.
"Ah, is that all?" I asked, clenching my teeth. He nodded, then shrugged.
"Yeah. Yeah, sorry. I'll, uh... I'll just go now." He turned, and walked to his car. I stepped slowly and heavily to the closet, where a thick rope sat on the floor. I grabbed it up, and walked outside. Mike was trying to start up his car when he noticed me walking towards a tree carrying my rope. I slung it over a branch, and made a noose out of the other end. I climbed up into the tree when I heard Mike come running. "Billie! What are you doing?!" he screamed, running to the trunk of the tree.
"I'M NOT WORTH LIVING ANYMORE!" I screamed back, and tightened the noose around my neck.
"Please, Billie. Don't do it!" he cried, trying to climb up the tree. Luckily for me, he couldn't climb trees if it would save his life. "Billie, come on. Put the rope down, and come on down from the tree." He reached up to me.
"Okay," I replied, and jumped from the branch.
"BILLIE! NOOO!"
FIN...
"Yes, I know."
"WHY!?!" My eyes opened, and I saw a blurry image of Mike screaming at a doctor.
"Mr. Pritchard, you are going to have to calm down. We just need to run some tests to find the reason why."
"ME? I'M THE ONE THAT HAS TO CALM DOWN?!" Mike shouted into the doctor's face.
"Yes, you are. Please, step outside."
"Mmph... Mikey? Please, stop yelling..." I murmured, trying to see straight. I heard him gasp.
"Billie!" I heard rapid footsteps, but they stopped at my side. "Are you okay?" I nodded, then shook my head, then nodded, then shrugged.
"Could be better," I rasped, my throat drier than the Gobi Desert. "Wha-what happened?"
"You...you had a seizure. We don't know why, though," he replied quietly, kissing my knuckles. "I thought we would lose you."
I chuckled quietly. "I'm still here, aren't I?" I stroked his sullen cheek. "Chin up, Mike-o. C'mon, lemme see that gorgeous smile of yours."
"Billie...what is going on with you? No...I want to know!" he cried, his eyes shining with tears. "I'm scared, Bill. I'm terrified! I...I just...I was at home, waiting for you on the couch. Then I get a call from the hospital, telling me you were in a coma. Then, when I come, you have a seizure," he sighed, running his fingers through his hair.
"Mike. Mike, c'mon. hey, hey. I'm okay. Don't lose hope. If I'm going to die, I don't want you to cry," I replied, and hugged him tight.
THREE WEEKS LATER...
The hospital let me out, finally announcing that I was of no harm to me or anyone else. When I got home, I sat silently on a chair in the dining room, fingering an old picture of me and my ex-wife. Tears slid silently down my cheeks, rolling from my tired, bloodshot eyes. I sniffled, wiping my eyes. Someone knocked on the door, and I groaned, pulling my body off of my chair. Mike stood there, his hands clenched around something.
"Hey," I murmured, pulling the door open. He smiled slightly, then kind of winced.
"Hi," he replied. He held out a crumpled up letter. "It's, uh, from the record company," he explained as I took it. I opened it, and pulled out the paper. My heart sank as I read it. We were supposed to go out touring sometime in the next three weeks. I tried to smile, but it seemed more like a regretful shake. "I...I tried to tell them that you couldn't go right yet, so they figured we'll go at the end of the next three weeks." I nodded, then tossed it to the side.
"Ah, is that all?" I asked, clenching my teeth. He nodded, then shrugged.
"Yeah. Yeah, sorry. I'll, uh... I'll just go now." He turned, and walked to his car. I stepped slowly and heavily to the closet, where a thick rope sat on the floor. I grabbed it up, and walked outside. Mike was trying to start up his car when he noticed me walking towards a tree carrying my rope. I slung it over a branch, and made a noose out of the other end. I climbed up into the tree when I heard Mike come running. "Billie! What are you doing?!" he screamed, running to the trunk of the tree.
"I'M NOT WORTH LIVING ANYMORE!" I screamed back, and tightened the noose around my neck.
"Please, Billie. Don't do it!" he cried, trying to climb up the tree. Luckily for me, he couldn't climb trees if it would save his life. "Billie, come on. Put the rope down, and come on down from the tree." He reached up to me.
"Okay," I replied, and jumped from the branch.
"BILLIE! NOOO!"
FIN...
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